Student teachers’ views on the importance of learning and teaching critical literacy in the foundation phase

Abstract

Teaching and learning is the core business in schools where teachers impart knowledge and learners learn in order to communicate effectively. This paper sought to gather the views of student teachers on the importance of learning and teaching critical literacy in the Foundation phase. The study adopted a qualitative design in which a purposeful sample of 60 B.Ed Foundation Phase student teachers participated. An open-ended questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection. The content was coded according to themes and then analysed. The study found out that critical literacy enabled learners to be critical of what they saw, what they heard, what they read and of what they wrote. Critical literacy made learners think deeply about the information they acquired through literacy skills. It was also found out that critical literacy enabled learners to make fair and careful judgement about the good and the bad qualities of things they were faced with. It was also found out that teachers were reluctant to teach critical literacy to the Foundation Phase learners because they thought the learners were too young to use their critical knowledge. The recommendations were made that teachers should teach critical literacy to the Foundation Phase learners.